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  1. #201
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    GM Kyle Walters is complaining that the Bombers got robbed by the playoff structure. In the last two years, teams that finished behind them in the standings got the bonus of facing Eastern teams who finished with sub .500 records while the Bombers played and lost to a 12-6 BC team in 2016 and a 12-6 Edmonton this year. I agree. The format should be changed so that the cross-over team does not benefit in the playoffs from playing a weaker opponent than the teams in front of them in the standings.

  2. #202
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    I think the cross-over rule should be modified so that the team qualifying with the worst record for the playoffs should play the best of the teams in the semi-finals, regardless of which division it is in.

  3. #203
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    A couple of surprises out of Winnipeg: former Argo Justin Medlock is giving serious consideration to retiring and Matt Nichols was playing with a broken finger, not simply an injured hand.

    Kicker Justin Medlock says retirement is one option he'll consider now that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' season is over.
    Another surprise as the players cleaned out their lockers Monday was quarterback Matt Nichols revealing the injured ring finger on his throwing hand was actually broken.
    Medlock, a pending free agent, made all three of his field-goal attempts in Sunday's 39-32 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League's West Division semifinal.
    "I want to take a second to kind of think about what I want to do, whether I want to play, whether I want to play somewhere else, whether I want to play here," Medlock, 34, said.
    Moving on after seven CFL seasons and time in the National Football League is one option for the Florida resident, who was a key free-agent signing by Winnipeg last year.
    "Been thinking about doing some other things in life, maybe, so we'll see," Medlock said. "But I'm also considering coming back, too. I love playing here."
    https://www.thespec.com/sports-story...es-retirement/

  4. #204
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    The following article discusses Stanley Bryant, the Bombers Western nominee for Outstanding OL, life story.

    https://www.bluebombers.com/2017/11/...tanley-bryant/

  5. #205
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    Here's a article describing what motivates Andrew Harris and details his long climb to win the Most Outstanding Canadian award.

    Now, it would be a bit misleading to suggest Harris runs like a man possessed – besides, that conjures up all sorts of negative images – but he does bulldoze and tip-toe his way around the football field like a man obsessed.
    And in many ways, what drives Harris can be called an obsession. He is fuelled by the desire to provide for his daughter Hazel and be considered among the best at his craft, all of which continually stokes an inner fire that, even in a week when he is the front-runner for the Canadian Football League’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award, never stops raging.
    “It comes down to me trying to prove myself all the time,” began Harris in a chat with bluebombers.com. “No matter what kind of season I’ve had, I always feel like there’s something I have to prove. This year it was ‘He’s 30 now.’ When I first came to Winnipeg it was, ‘I have to prove that it was worth me coming here or whether I was worth this amount of money.’ I’ve always felt that I’ve been looked at as an underdog, even with my amateur background and coming from junior. It’s always been about that, about proving things to myself and to everyone else that I can play and do it at a high level.” ...
    “As an athlete, no matter what you do there are always going to be critics, there are always going to be people you have to prove yourself to. I take that as a challenge. Those are the things that motivate me.” ...

    Harris is also driven by the memory of a friend – Aaron Niedergesaess – who passed away in 2008. The two became close while playing junior football and their daughters were born just two weeks apart. Niedergesaess quit football when he was 21 to care for his young family. Tragically, his life was lost in a car accident.
    “He had a troubled upbringing and was involved in some bad things. But he totally cleaned himself up and was completely sober the entire time I knew him,” said Harris. “He was an extremely passionate guy as far as his intensity and drive. We became really close, really tight. ...
    Harris switched his number from 20 to 33 to honour Niedergesaess and has a tattoo of a Lion on his shoulder that spreads to his back that features ‘33’, his daughter’s name as well as clouds and birds. ...

    “Every game I pray to him while kneeling at the 33-yard line and I wear his number around my neck. He was a big part of my life. He was involved in my life for a short time, but he was one of those people that just touches you in a way that is indescribable.”
    https://www.bluebombers.com/2017/11/...andrew-harris/

  6. #206
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    Here's a video of Andrew Harris's comments upon winning the Outstanding Canadian awards. I especially love his comment "I've always been told I was too slow, too Canadian. ... I also want to thank the haters, the doubters because that's motivation, that keeps you going when things aren't going great".

    https://www.bluebombers.com/2017/11/...ding-canadian/

  7. #207
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    The Bombers have gone 27 years without winning a Grey Cup. When you factor in the number of teams in different professional leagues in North America, that is the second worst on a percentage basis in terms of the likelihood of winning a championship. However, the Bombers have been moving in the right direction the last two years.
    Leaf fans can relax; they are not the worst using this standard, although they are getting up there. To find out who the worst is read the following.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manito...lity-1.4400291

  8. #208
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    RB Timothy Flanders has signed a one year extension with Winnipeg, after his most productive season so far in his career.

  9. #209
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    Former Argo Justin Medlock signed a one year extension with the Bombers just before the deadline for being placed on the free agent list occurred. Medlock had been considering retirement, but O'Shea persuaded him to return.

    After the Bombers lost the CFL West Division semifinal 39-32 to the Edmonton Eskimos on Nov. 12, the seven-year international kicker said he’d go home and take some time to decide if he even wanted to continue playing.
    He revealed Thursday he’s been thinking of getting into the medical sales field and had turned down a job offer during the season.
    That possible career move was a topic he discussed with O’Shea, who had worked in medical sales after his CFL career.
    “He kind of just gave me a little bit of what his experience was like and what going forward on that aspect,” Medlock said.
    “He just kind of told me, ‘Hey, you know if you love football go out there and give it your best and try to play a little bit longer.’ He’s like, ‘We need you back here. I don’t think you should give it up right now.’
    “I got to thinking about it and I was like, you know I can work down the road. Right now, I want to play some football and I want to do better.”
    http://3downnation.com/2017/11/30/me...signs-bombers/

  10. #210
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    DT Jake Thomas has won the Bombers' 2017 Ed Kotowich Good Guy Award.

    This award acknowledges a player who has excellent football ability, is a leader in the locker room, and shows outstanding effort in the community.
    Since signing with the Bombers in 2012, Thomas has participated in numerous community initiatives. As an ambassador for the Break the Silence on Violence Against Women program since 2015, he has appeared in PSAs and visited schools to talk about the importance of the program. Thomas is also a fixture at the annual Dream Big Sleepover with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Winnipeg, and helps coach youth football programs.
    https://www.bluebombers.com/2017/11/...-award-winner/

  11. #211
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    Ed Tait examines the situation facing each of the Bombers' 18 potential free agents below. Some of the ones likely to draw the most interest are: OL Stanley Bryant, LB Maurice Leggett, CB Chris Randle, DE Jamaal Westerman, DB/KR Kevin Fogg, DB TJ Heath, LB Sam Hurl, and WRs Clarence Denmark and Weston Dressler.

    https://www.cfl.ca/2017/12/03/look-b...g-free-agents/

  12. #212
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    Doug Brown discusses whether it's wise for the Bombers to spend the money needed to bring back aging stars such as Dressler and Westerman who have missed significant time due to injury.

    https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sp...461886173.html

  13. #213
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    The Bombers tied Edmonton for the second most CFL All-Star selections with five: Andrew Harris, Stanley Bryant, Chris Randle, TJ Heath and Taylor Loftier.

  14. #214
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    Quote Originally Posted by jerrym View Post
    The Bombers tied Edmonton for the second most CFL All-Star selections with five: Andrew Harris, Stanley Bryant, Chris Randle, TJ Heath and Taylor Loftier.
    The Bombers have one of the worst pass defences in the league and yet place three DBs on the CFL all-star team? What a joke!
    Chad Kelly + Dan Adeboboye + David Ungerer + Damonte Coxie + DaVaris Daniels + Dejon Brissett = Unstoppable Force

  15. #215
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    The Bombers are facing increased salary demands from players after their improved record over the last two seasons leading to challenges in terms of staying under the salary cap. Some are also questioning the keeping of Richie Hall as DC after such a poor year defensively for the team, but Waters is leaving those decisions in O'Shea's hands.

    But with continuing success comes greater problems. For the Bombers general manager, the issues that used to fill his plate at this time years ago are much different than they are now. Winning on the field, Walters said, often creates greater challenges off it.


    "We went from being not a very good football team to being a competitive football team," Walters said Wednesday in a phone interview from Banff, where the off-season presidents and general managers meetings are taking place this week. "When we used to look and evaluate our roster it was, ‘not good enough, not good enough, not good enough.’" ...
    Now the Bombers are back on track, even if they have yet to win a playoff game under Walters, and the challenge of building a true Grey Cup contender is much more steep. It’s no longer about dumping and adding later, but rather who and how many they can afford to keep. ...

    Where Walters has most of the work cut out for him is on the defensive side of the ball. He’s been busy the past few months, one of the most active general managers this off-season. But though he’s signed 10 players from last season’s roster, only two are starters on the defence. And with just more than a month to go before the free-agency period opens, the Bombers have a number of big names still without a contract.
    Perhaps the biggest problem for Walters is whether he’ll be able to keep both of the all-stars patrolling the boundary side of the secondary. Cornerback Chris Randle is coming off arguably his best season in the CFL and is already making big money, upwards of $130,000 per season. The other, halfback T.J. Heath, has exhausted the two-year, team-friendly salary he signed after coming north from the NFL. He was an all-star in both his years in the CFL and will expect a similar price tag as Randle, likely close to double what he’s making now.
    Then there’s Maurice Leggett, the Bombers’ strong-side linebacker and arguably their best player on defence. Leggett was having another stellar season, but enters 2018 with some concern after he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury late in the year. ...

    Then there are others, such as veteran defensive end Jamaal Westerman, the team’s sack leader over the last two years, and defensive tackle Jake Thomas, who isn’t as flashy a name, but has evolved into a more than serviceable player. Most importantly, both Westerman and Thomas carry a Canadian passport, meaning their exits could create an issue with the team’s ratio if they are to hit the open market.
    "There’s still a lot of uncertainty on that defensive side of the ball and, just based on the number of unsigned free agents, what needs to happen between now and the middle of February in who gets signed and who doesn’t and, most importantly, if these guys choose to go to free agency because financially we just can’t come to a deal, what’s our plan?" Walters said. "That’s what a lot of the time spent right now is on, these types of discussions." ...

    Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea has shuffled the deck when it comes to his defensive coaching staff. Last week he fired defensive backs coach Tony Missick and defensive line coach Todd Howard. What was perhaps most telling, however, was his decision to stick with defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall for another year — a decision Walters didn’t have an issue with. "Mike decides who he wants his staff to be and that’s the way the business works."
    https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sp...468711733.html

  16. #216
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    The Bombers have signed former 2017 Cleveland Brown end of training camp cut DB Eric Patterson. The defensive backfield is definitely an area where the Bombers need to upgrade.

    The 24-year-old initially signed as undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots in 2015 but was soon released. He was then signed by the Indianapolis Colts and appeared in two games where he registered two tackles before being cut. Patterson was soon signed by the St. Louis Rams but only played in one game during the 2015 season. ...
    Patterson played collegiate football with the Ball State Cardinals, appearing in 41 games and starting in 28 of those over four seasons.
    https://globalnews.ca/news/3959428/f...-blue-bombers/

  17. #217
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    Ian Wild talks about why he decided to resign with Winnipeg below:

    “Being in the financial industry, I talk to people all the time about risk and return,” said Wild Monday from his office in Pittsburgh. “Sometimes the risk isn’t worth it if you just want the peace of mind that your money is going to be there. There are stable investments that can give you that.
    “Money-wise… it’s nice to make good money and play for what you’re worth, but it’s also important to be on a good team where I have a lot of friends. There’s a lot of positives being with one team. Stuff like that is important to me.” ...

    “I talked to (Bombers GM) Kyle (Walters) when the season ended and they said they were interested in bringing me back and I wanted to come back to Winnipeg,” said Wild. “Since I’m going to be 28 (in March) I figured this might be my last shot at the NFL and so my agent did put some feelers out there. But there wasn’t really enough to persuade me from coming back to Winnipeg. As much as I would have liked to play in front of family and friends and near my hometown, I really like the CFL and Winnipeg.
    “I’ve been there when times weren’t very good and now that we’re an annual playoff contender, I feel like I want to be there to see it through and be a part of it when Winnipeg does win a Grey Cup.”
    https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/13/wild-w...lb-happy-back/

  18. #218
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    Ed Tait reviews the situation facing each of the Bombers remaining unsigned free agents below including former Argos DB TJ Heath, QB Dan LeFevour, and WR Julian Feoli-Gudino.

    https://www.bluebombers.com/2018/01/...eck-one-month/

  19. #219
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    GM Kyle Walters, who has already taken ten names off his potential free agent list through extensions, discusses the challenges he faces as the free agency deadline approaches in the following url.

    https://www.bluebombers.com/2018/01/...s-gm-meetings/

  20. #220
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    In his latest video interview, HC Mike O'Shea feels he needs to be more involved in defensive meetings and have more collaboration because, to put it kindly, the Bomber defence was nowhere near the best in the league.

    https://www.bluebombers.com/2018/01/...hea-january-5/

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